Wilbourn gets 38 years added to life sentence in police killing

By , Daily Memphian Updated: December 17, 2018 1:49 PM CT | Published: December 17, 2018 1:37 PM CT

Tremaine Wilbourn, convicted last month of killing Memphis police officer Sean Bolton in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, had 38 years added to his sentence Monday, Dec. 17, for other charges in the case.

Wilbourn, 32, wearing green jail scrubs, appeared before Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee Monday for sentencing on charges of carjacking, being a felon in possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm during a carjacking and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony.

The charges stem from the Aug. 1, 2015, fatal shooting of Bolton in a Parkway Village neighborhood and what Wilbourn did after the fatal shooting.

Wilbourn was convicted of shooting Bolton after the officer approached an illegally parked Mercedes-Benz in the 4800 block of Summerlane in the area of Cottonwood and South Perkins.

The driver of the car fled after Bolton shined a spotlight in the car. Wilbourn, who was a passenger, was being detained by Bolton when the two scuffled and Wilbourn shot the officer eight times, including once in the face. Bolton later died at Regional One Health.

After Wilbourn shot Bolton, he fled and carjacked a man nearby, fleeing in the victim’s Honda.

After a two-day manhunt, Wilbourn, accompanied by his grandmother and a local pastor, turned himself in to federal marshals in Downtown Memphis.

After an eight-day trial that began Oct. 29, a jury convicted Wilbourn of first-degree murder and gave him life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors Alanda Dwyer, Leslie Byrd, Reginald Henderson and defense attorneys Juni Ganguli, Lauren Pasley and Laurie Hall all agreed on the sentencing recommendations for each of the four additional charges. Wilbourn told Coffee he agreed with the sentencing on each of the four charges as well.

Coffee then sentenced him to 20 years on the carjacking charge, eight years on possession of firearm and 10 years on the convicted felon and dangerous felon charges for a total of 38 years.

Wilbourn also was sentenced last year to 28 years on federal charges of carjacking, so he has a life sentence plus 66 years in prison.

Wilbourn asked the judge if he knew where he would serve his time. Coffee said that decision would be up to the Tennessee Department of Corrections.

Bolton’s family was in court for Monday’s sentencing hearing, but they left without commenting to the media.

As a formality, Wilbourn’s attorneys will file a motion asking for a new trial. Wilbourn will be back in court on Jan. 15 on this motion.

Topics

Memphis Police Department Sean Bolton Tremaine Wilbourn
Yolanda Jones

Yolanda Jones

Yolanda Jones covers criminal justice issues and general assignment news for The Daily Memphian. She previously was a reporter at The Commercial Appeal.

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